•May 31, 2017•

After a cool beginning of the month, soil temperatures are rising throughout the state in mid-May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

Soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under sod averaged 67.5 degrees in Illinois on May 15, 5 degrees higher than the long-term average. Daily highs were in the 60s and 70s for most of the state.

Temperatures began the month three to five degrees cooler than normal as they fell back into the 40s in northern Illinois. However, temperatures have been steadily rising since the first week. Southern and west-central Illinois had the highest regional temperatures at 69 degrees on May 15. The coolest were in the north with an average of 63 degrees.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.